Ester Maria Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 I mean "real", black coffee, not little coffee mixed into a lot of milk or something like that. Just curious. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 If you're only counting black coffee, I haven't started drinking coffee yet. :D (I add 1 tsp of sugar and a splash of milk or cream.) My oldest is 15 and has not yet started drinking coffee. For religious reasons, I didn't drink coffee until I was in my thirties (when my religious beliefs changed), and I am concerned enough about research on the effects of caffeine on the developing brain that I have encouraged my kids to wait until later to start drinking coffee. I doubt any of them will wait until their thirties, but I'm hoping to get them out of high school at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mynyel Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 My dd13 has a cup of coffee maybe 3-4 times a month. Otherwise nothing. *sigh* I need to go back to no coffee and save those WW points for something else! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LidiyaDawn Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 I'm a fairly frequent coffee drinker, but I don't like it black... I like it pretty much any other way: flavoured coffee with milk, normal coffee with flavoured creamers, all sorts of Starbucks type stuff.. Ds12 likes to drink the last inch or so of my coffee... dd14 doesn't like coffee at all. (Except the "java chip frappucino" at Starbucks; I think that has real coffee in it.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 My kids are allowed to drink coffee, but they don't like the taste. I would have been okay with it once they were in high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renthead Mommy Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 I don't drink black coffee, I like it with cream and sugar. Around K/1st, I had to up my coffee size from med to large because he was putting a decent enough dent in my drinks. Now he seems to be liking hot chocolate better as that what he usually orders at Starbucks now. He'll still drink my latte or coffee if I don't get him his own. I don't worry about the caffeine. But we don't drink soda at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 One boy started when he was about 18--the other doesn't drink coffee and he's in college. I don't know why, but I've always considered it an adult drink (unless you have ADHD and use it for medicinal purposes :001_smile:). There is some "taboo" in my inner culture about it! I have a friend who lets her kids drink it as elementary kiddos, and it always feels wrong to me. Not saying it is, just the way I was raised, I guess. I do think it is addicting, so I'd want my kids to be careful. It's the caffeine that bothers me, I guess. I don't let them have soda when they are littles, either, and then when it is allowed, it's only noncaf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ester Maria Posted March 13, 2011 Author Share Posted March 13, 2011 If you're only counting black coffee, I haven't started drinking coffee yet. :D (I add 1 tsp of sugar and a splash of milk or cream.) I don't count only the blackest of black :D, but I do mean something which is more coffee than stuff you add to it. I noticed that the last couple of times we were out, my eldest ordered coffee rather than tea, so I was wondering whether it's "normal" already at 13-14, or no. I rarely drink coffee myself, and I grew up with this "coffee is an adult drink" mindset, so it struck me as a bit young, but maybe I'm just prejudiced. I'd rather have her drink coffee than soda in any case (we don't do soda). It's not a daily drink yet for her, but I was just curious about your experiences. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 I'm hoping for never. As soon as dh realizes that his coffee addiction is doing terrible things to his insides (he already admits the acid bothers him a great deal) we will get rid of the coffee drinking in the house. At that point it will be tea, water and juice only for us. Hopefully dd gets into the healthy habits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 I don't count only the blackest of black :D, but I do mean something which is more coffee than stuff you add to it. I noticed that the last couple of times we were out, my eldest ordered coffee rather than tea, so I was wondering whether it's "normal" already at 13-14, or no. I rarely drink coffee myself, and I grew up with this "coffee is an adult drink" mindset, so it struck me as a bit young, but maybe I'm just prejudiced. I'd rather have her drink coffee than soda in any case (we don't do soda). It's not a daily drink yet for her, but I was just curious about your experiences. :) I know my son has had classmates drinking coffee for a couple of years, so it's well within normal around here. We let our kids have green tea very young, but only decaf. We only have soda several times a year, almost always without caffeine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 The Boy came home from Austria last year drinking black coffee (at almost 17). He had never liked coffee before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 I don't count only the blackest of black :D, but I do mean something which is more coffee than stuff you add to it. I noticed that the last couple of times we were out, my eldest ordered coffee rather than tea, so I was wondering whether it's "normal" already at 13-14, or no. I was about 12 or 13 when I started drinking coffee. Ds likes it, but is only allowed 1/2 "tea cup" (you know - the tiny coffee cups that come with dinnerware sets) full when he wants it, which is anywhere from a couple times per week to just a couple times per month. Dd hates coffee. I worry about setting the kid up for kidney stones and intestinal probs because his little bod is still growing. We don't drink soda (other than the rare but occasional root beer), or other caffeine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 My 11 yr old would drink it everyday if we let her. She usually gets a cup once a week. My dh doesn't see a problem with it since his parents let him drink coffee starting at around age 8. It definitely didn't stunt his growth or cause any intelligence issues.:tongue_smilie: I'm not really worried about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 My son is from a coffee-heavy culture. He was drinking coffee when he came to us at two years old. They gave the kids coffee in the orphanage because hey, they had to boil the water anyway before they could drink it, so they might as well make coffee! ;) He is eight now and he still drinks coffee ... black. He only gets decaf if he wants a full cup. He gets caffeinated if he wants a smidge and I don't feel like making decaf. Although, now he can make his own coffee. He grinds the beans and uses a coffee press. :D My dd16 was also drinking coffee when she came to us as a pre-teen. She has always drunk caffeinated coffee, but now that she wants a cup of coffee in the evening after school, she has to make decaf. My dd9 doesn't drink coffee but likes black tea, either with or without almond milk. Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Ds is 13 and has been trying to like coffee for about a year. He does have ADHD, so I have no problem with him drinking it. He's been drinking tea since he was about 5. He keeps trying to convince himself he likes it, but really the only way he'll drink it is in a Starbucks-like concoction with a lot of other flavors. As for black coffee -- The only coffee I can drink (and actually like) black is Jamaican, which is way to expensive for me to justify buying it. So I'll stick with adding cream and sugar to cheaper coffee. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 DD, who is 18, just started. I make her a latte in the morning before school. DS, who is 13, doesn't drink coffee and I will encourage him to wait until he is older. Much older. ETA: I had my first cup of coffee four days ago. I am detoxing from chai again and needed something warm to replace it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snickerdoodle Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 I told my kids not to start drinking coffee if they want to avoid the dragon breath most adults have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Yeah, if it is has to be straight black, then I am a never. If a dash of milk and a tsp of sugar is acceptable, my 7th started when he was 5. It um.. Keeps him regular. Besides, it was our little happy time in the morning. We'd sit at the counter drinking coffee while I read my boards and he "read" his comics. All his siblings were jealous that he got to have coffee time with mom. He loved that.;) I'm contemplating making my third born have a cup with me. That boy could sleep until noon every day after going to bed at 8:00. Puberty is just one loooonng dragging foggy day dream for him these days and it is really affecting his school work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4wildberrys Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 We allowed our son to start drinking coffee at about 14 and our daughter at 17, mainly because it helps them wake up and think during school! Coffee has many health benefits for the body and brain and I do consider it healthy in moderation ;) In fact, we are a household of coffee lovers!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mejane Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Not yet. My son started drinking it about a year ago when he was 14, but he still puts a ton of cream and sugar in it. Yuck. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 (edited) Only my oldest drinks coffee (cream, no sugar, just as his Dad and I do), which he seems to have started in college. I don't remember him drinking it before then. Dh and I both do, but the other kids don't have an interest. Dh grinds beans daily for us, so the scent is tempting. Although not to them, apparently. Edited March 13, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 We allowed our son to start drinking coffee at about 14 and our daughter at 17, mainly because it helps them wake up and think during school! Coffee has many health benefits for the body and brain and I do consider it healthy in moderation ;) In fact, we are a household of coffee lovers!! :iagree: I'm actually encouraging my almost 14 yo to drink it. He does not wake up quickly anymore, and it just makes him much nicer these days. :tongue_smilie: Anyway, I grind the beans and make it about 50/50 decaf and regular. One cup does the trick for him. Just a little zip to start the day! (I need a bit more though ;).) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 I started drinking the occasional cappuccino as a treat when I was in 11th and a regular morning coffee habit when I spent the summer between high school and college as an au pair in France. My kids aren't allowed to have caffeinated drinks until they reach their full adult heights- I don't want their growth to be stunted. Given that the adult heights in our family on both sides ranges from 5'0" to 5'4" for women and 5'6" to 5'10" for men, they are going to want every inch they can get! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freetobeme Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 my oldest - regularly in the a.m. at about 16 yo. my 10 yo occasionally will drink a cup in the a.m. the other three don't touch the stuff, but my 13 yo IS "addicted" to chocolate milk! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imprimis Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 My teen has been drinking coffee on a semi-regular basis (about 3 times a week) since she was close to 13. She drinks it black and unsweetened, usually on ice, but sometimes hot with a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder in it. As far as coffee stunting growth, it is an old wives' tale---there are no documented studies that prove this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMW Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Let's see: 21 yr old dd started at about 16. She's a spoiled Starbucks snob, but has learned the value of home-brew!! 19 yr old dd CANNOT have caffeine because she has heart irregularities. 18 yyob started drinking "just black" coffee at 16. 16yog will occasionally have a mocha or something like that from Starbucks, like on Black Friday, lol, but she isn't living with me right now and maybe she drinks it more often. She started with a Frappuccino a few times a summer and mocha a few times a winter at about 13. One other boy, 13 yrs old., drinks coffee in various ways 1-2 times a week. He is already... mmmm.... about 5 ft. 8 in., so I'm not worried about height! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 My kids don't like coffee, although when she's tired, my 17 yo will occasionally have a cup of hazelnut coffee with lots of milk and sugar. I was drinking coffee while still sitting in a high chair. Of course it was milk with a splash of coffee at that point. I'm sure I was drinking real coffee (with a little milk, if that counts) by the time I was 10. I love coffee! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 I started working to acquire a taste for coffee at around 12. I have the "coffee is an adult drink" mindset too. Becca loves to smell my coffee and heat it up for me, but I can't imagine the child caffeinated. Sylvia, on the other hand, is NOT a morning person and I can just see her needing her coffee like me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooblink Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 My ds1 tried coffee when he turned 12 - he'll be 13 in a few weeks. He uses a little cream or black, but no sugar. He doesn't drink it every day, or even always finish a cup he starts, but a few mornings a week he'll have a cup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 We don't drink it here, never understood acquiring the taste for it, same with beer. That said we avoid caffeine and they don't drink soda either. I cannot forsee a situation in which that would be necessary. Personally, I would be worried if my young child needed coffee to get going, I would be looking at diet and bedtime routines and such here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 I was 14 or 15 I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 I was 14 and have never looked back, lol. None of my kids like coffee though 18 yo drinks tea, 17 yo does Coke and 15 yo has the Mt Dew monkey on his back ( for the record they only get a pop on the weekend, at least that I see) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Dh and I don't drink coffee, so I'm not sure when or if they will start. I am strict about caffeine when they are still developing. Once they are 15 or 16, I think they can decide for themselves whether they are going to have caffeine, though, so I guess that would be my answer. They all watched me be terribly sick for a few months when I quit a caffeine addiction that started as a child, so I would think they will think twice about it. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Ds12 drinks coffee with just a splash of milk and a teaspoon of sugar. He loves coffee and would drink it all day long if I let him; I don't. He's allowed two cups per day max. Ds13 has no interest; he drinks mostly water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 It's interesting, in our family culture coffee is a social thing. I don't know if it's a Southern thing or a country thing or what, but I grew up driking it, my mom did, and her parents and grandparents did too. When I was 5 years old and spent the night with my great-grandparents, we'd get up before dawn and Pappy would fix me a strong, black cup of coffee to drink with him and my great-grandma before we'd go out for a bike ride and to do yardwork. My mom's people came from farms and factories where the kids didn't go to school much past Elementary, so maybe that's where it came from. They needed the coffee to stay awake! My kids don't drink black coffee, but they start out whenever they ask for it as milk with a splash of coffee in it. As they get old enough to serve themselves they fix it however they like it...usually with just a splash of h&h and no sugar, although my 14yo drinks it black. We usually have our coffee break in the morning around 10 with second breakfast...maybe 2-3 times a week? I don't buy soda, so I figure they're still getting less caffeine than most kids their ages. Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Coffee doesn't stunt growth ;:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Coffee doesn't stunt growth ;:001_smile: I'm not worried about how tall they are; it's their brains that I worry about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 (edited) *** Edited February 19, 2023 by J-rap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 (edited) I'm not worried about how tall they are; it's their brains that I worry about. While I agree that too much coffee isn't good for anyone over the long-term, coffee stimulates the prefrontal cortex increasing concentration, executive function, reaction times, memory and attention span. There are also studies that claim coffee has a protective affect against age-related degeneration and Alzheimer's as well as a lower risk of brain cancer. Honestly, google around. Coffee has largely been given a bad rap. Moderation, of course is the key, so I hate to see 12 year olds chugging Rock Stars like water. But a small cup of coffee every day or two isn't going to stunt anyone's growth or ruin a growing brain. Barb Edited March 14, 2011 by Barb F. PA in AZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4wildberrys Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 (edited) It's interesting, in our family culture coffee is a social thing. I don't know if it's a Southern thing or a country thing or what, but I grew up driking it, my mom did, and her parents and grandparents did too. When I was 5 years old and spent the night with my great-grandparents, we'd get up before dawn and Pappy would fix me a strong, black cup of coffee to drink with him and my great-grandma before we'd go out for a bike ride and to do yardwork. My mom's people came from farms and factories where the kids didn't go to school much past Elementary, so maybe that's where it came from. They needed the coffee to stay awake! My kids don't drink black coffee, but they start out whenever they ask for it as milk with a splash of coffee in it. As they get old enough to serve themselves they fix it however they like it...usually with just a splash of h&h and no sugar, although my 14yo drinks it black. We usually have our coffee break in the morning around 10 with second breakfast...maybe 2-3 times a week? I don't buy soda, so I figure they're still getting less caffeine than most kids their ages. Barb I love this story! :) And yes, coffee was a great way for the working kids to stay awake and alert. And NO---it does NOT stunt growth!! No way---I 'cut back' to 4 cups a day while pregnant with both kids---dd was 9lb and ds was 10lb11oz...lol! DD is now 5'11" and ds is still growing at 6'1"....I didn't start drinking coffee until I was 18, and I am the shorty now not only of my birth family but now in my own family at 5'8"!! My brother started drinking coffee early and he is 6'5". Edited March 14, 2011 by 4wildberrys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4wildberrys Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 I'm not worried about how tall they are; it's their brains that I worry about. Check out this article: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/reasons-to-drink-coffee.html Coffee has many health benefits to the brain :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohdanigirl Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 Our dc are not allowed to drink coffee yet. Most of there friends begin drinking coffee (some milk, and plenty of sugar) at about 4. My oldest may be allowed soon. They do not drink Coke, Mountain Dew, etc. Other soda is only allowed with dinner and limited to a few oz. I guess we are a bit strict in this area. Danielle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 Dd16 drinks coffee daily and has done for about 2 years. I put her onto it because she was finding it so hard to switch on in the mornings and concentrate. The coffee really helped. Then her dad started drinking coffee too and now they regularly go out for coffee together, and have a coffee ritual at home. Its probably not ideal for her, but she only has one shot, and one or 2 cups in the morning, and it does help her with getting going in the mornings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 When they want. Normally around 11 is when they start asking for it daily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kchara Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 I didn't start drinking coffee until I was 19 and stationed near Seattle. It was the mid-90's, you couldn't get away from the stuff if you tried. ;) My kids don't really drink it, although, to be honest, I've forced a cup on my ADHD DS who is now 8 every once in a while for the past year and a half. Just if he's having a really bad day. He takes flavored creamer, though, no sugar. He really likes the Starbuck's Mocha's, but they're way $$ for an 8 year old kid, and if I get him one, I have to get everyone else something and it just adds up. Right now, though, we have no coffee pot. Have to fix that situation soon. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 I don't allow pop, koolaid, very little juice (and it has to be 100% OJ), and all our tea is sans sugar, and I don't allow fake sugar stuff either. Really we are a milk or water house for the most part. But unsweetened tea or lightly sweetened with real sugar coffee once or twice a day? I can live with that. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawana Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 Dd, 14, has recently started drinking a cup of coffee every morning. She likes it with a little cream and sugar, not black;). I drink mine black. I also come from the religious persuasion that prohibits coffee and tea, but I got over that in my 20s. So while it does seem a little weird that my 14yo drinks coffee, I've gotten used to it. (I just ask her to not be obvious when my mother visits. How ridiculous is that!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalknot Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 My grandmother told me that kids who drank coffee would grow little tails. LOL I know better now, of course, but still can't bring myself to even take a sip of it. Since I don't keep it at the house, nor order it when out, I doubt my kids will drink it until they're young adults or older (and are around people who do consume coffee OR they're in work/school situations that necessitate it). We all drink tea, though. Sometimes straight, sometimes with honey. Have since toddlerhood. And yes. I told my kids that they'd grow a tail if they stole sips from my dad's coffee. I have no clue why I perpetuated that, it sort of slipped out. At least I didn't lie about Santa though ;) so maybe they'll forgive me one day!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 I tell my kids that pop and other junk drinks will cause their teeth to turn black and fall out.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 Calvin hasn't started wanting to drink coffee or tea. I'm pretty sure I was drinking serious coffee by his age. Husband didn't start drinking coffee until he was at university. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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